That Last Goodbye
by ShoeThrower
Summary: Helena returns for one hour after her mom's recovery. Valentine has to say goodbye again, and this time, it will be even harder. ValentineHelena


**Summary: Helena returns for one hour after her mom's recovery. Valentine has to say goodbye again, and this time, it will be even harder. ValentineHelena**

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"So your mum's alright then?" 

"Yeah…the nurses said she'd be out tonight when I left an hour ago."

Helena sat on the bed, looking around at the green walls and how they clashed horribly with the red covers. She glanced up and immediately looked back down. She couldn't bear to look at that face.

The pause between them had gotten longer, perhaps it was because she didn't know what to say…maybe it was because he didn't. It was perfectly understandable, she had suddenly come back, he didn't understand how…but she did. And somehow, it wasn't enough.

Helena looked back up at him and knew he was looking back from behind his mask.

He took a deep breath. "Helena…you know I'm not good at this-"

"Don't," she said hurridly, getting up off the bed. She took a couple steps toward him, searching for words until she finally decided on "I've had a good time," she forced the smile on her face.

"But…do you have to?" He asked quitely. He took two steps closing some of the distance between them. "It's just…It's just that I don't think I can go through that again."

"Please Valentine." She looked up at him, he was so tall. She just stared at him, thinking about how the last hour had probably been a bad decesion, because now she had to hurt him, and herself for the second time. "Let's not say goodbye."

"The let's say hello!" He suddenly excalimed, grabbing her shoulders and shaking her. "Let's say hello to all the people you haven't seen yet! Like the White Queen! OH YES! And then we…we…well we could…" he trailed off. The silence began again, and Helena knew she couldn't stay here any longer. She cursed herself in her head as her eyes began to sting with tears. One let itself loose and slid down her cheek. Valentine felt compelled to show sympathy.

His hand had found her neck, and then her face. Sighing, he gently cupped her face in his hand and stared at her long and hard, All she could do was look pitifully back up at him, feeling the once numbed pain breaking inside her. His thumb absentmindedly traced up and down her neck. She pressed his hand to her cheek, staring at his chest, afraid to let him see another tear. "I'm sorry Valentine," she whispered as she squeezed his hand, the gapping hole inside her growing. "Goodb—"

And then suddenly he closed the hole. He pressed his lips against hers, Helena was totally unprepared and yet before she knew it, she was kissing him back. Her hands found the back of his neck and she laced her fingers in his hair, inhaling the sweet scent of his mask…it smelled like cedar…she loved cedar. He slipped his hand underneath her hair, bringing her closer to his mouth, his chest swelling with a passionate fire. He heard her give a little moan in his lips and the flame roared up inside him. His hand glided to the small of her back and he pressed her body up against his, kissing her harder.

When it ended, Helena stood there for a moment, stunned. Valentine brushed her hair back before kissing her lightly on the lips. She deepened the kiss, taking his mask in her hands as a tear slid down her cheek. This time she broke away, instead hugging her arms around his waist, pressing herself up against his chest. He wrapped his warms arms around her and cradled her head.

"Valentine…" she said, feeling the tears stick to his warm shirt

He shushed her and pressed his lips to her hair. "I'm sorry too," he whispered against her temple.

And that's how they stayed for quite awhile. Helena cried silently in his arms and he stroked her hair, waiting for her to leave him alone again.

When that time came, she gave him one last kiss, tears streaming down her face. "Goodbye Valentine," sha said softly. "You'll always be a very important man to me."

"You'll always be a very important girl to me," Valentine replied. And just before she turned away, she thought she saw a tear slip out from underneath the man's mask, but she was probably just seeing things; a trick of the light.

When she was gone, Valentine sunk to the floor, the fire inside him extinguished. He was surprised at how much he yearned for it now, now that the one thing that kindled the flame was gone.

He pounded a fist into the ground. "I'll find a way," he said firmly. He looked up, seeing a shard of the mirror mask lying beside the window, the light in his eyes visible beneath his mask. "I'll find a way."

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**Well I hoped you enjoyed that! I was reading through the fanfics and I noticed none of them had any real romance between Helena and Valentine. Read and Review!**


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